


Warming Hands

by LukeAss



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Original Work
Genre: Alcohol, Drunken Flirting, Drunken Kissing, F/M, Foreplay, Masturbation, Wholesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-13 14:02:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21495472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LukeAss/pseuds/LukeAss
Summary: A short story involving two player characters in my and my friends' Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons campaign. They developed feelings for each other early on, and have been trying not to swoon over each other at any given moment. The story will start after a small argument had broken out in the tavern (of course), where Seras had to resist Yoraphi's drunken advance, prompted by (yet again, of course) the party's bard, Urie, making sexual jokes and getting Yoraphi riled up. In the campaign, nothing happend between them and they instead decide to dance and enjoy the rest of the evening sans intercourse. In MY story, however... well, stay tuned.
Relationships: Seras Vernath/Yoraphi Achhurus
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is dedicated to Kate, Kenzie, Sara, Leo, Karen, Victoria, and Alissa.
> 
> Thank you all for enjoying playing Dungeons and Dragons with me and for helping me be a part of something bigger than myself. I no longer despise Mondays because of you beautiful people. I hope you guys enjoy the story. I look forward to continuing the campaign and allowing it to flourish into something beautiful (more beautiful than it already is, anyway). Love y'all. <3
> 
> For anyone else that happens upon this story, this is my first time writing fan fiction. I accept any constructive criticism or reviews, but I don't expect any, seeing as how this story is some OC centered around a campaign only my friends and I know about. If you're still interested in checking it out, please enjoy and thanks in advance for reading.
> 
> \- Lucas

"Damn it!" Seras exclaimed as he hastily entered his rented room on the upper floor of Stonehill Inn. He began haphazardly removing his studded leather armor in an attempt at finding some comfort, tossing his gear onto the floor in a fit of hushed rage. Breathing heavily, he began pacing around his room, accidentally kicking the arrows that spilled from his quiver all over the floor in the process. The past half hour or so kept replaying in his head over and over. After taking four or five laps around his room, Seras began to find it more and more frustrating to remain standing. He flopped onto his tavern bed, landing on his back with his hands pressing into his face in frustration. "I should've been softer on her," he said to himself quietly, his hands muffling his already reticent tone. "I could have... could have..."

_About thirty minutes earlier..._

Seras, Yoraphi, and Urie sat around the middle of the Toblin Stonehill's tavern. There were around twenty patrons in the bar, not including themselves and the other four members of the party who were spread around, enjoying their time to themselves. The glow of the room emanated throughout, giving a calming feeling to anyone and everyone who entered, and that feeling was only enhanced by the bright expression and personality of Mr. Stonehill himself. The town of Phandilin was the party's current "headquarters", as it were, while they were on the hunt for a mutual friend of theirs that had been taken hostage, Gundren Rockseeker. After returning from a trip of hoping to find clues of his whereabouts, the party returned to the village to rest and recuperate, with plans to continue their search the following day.

"Wait, hold on! You know a _dragon?!_" Urie was just about to put a flagon of ale to his lips when Yoraphi spoke of a dragon named Ulleeno as if it were a close friend. "That's crazy talk, Yoraphi," he said with a chuckle, "you've had too much ale already."

"I'm sseriouss..," Yoraphi slurred. Her beverage was getting the better of her, but for a half-elf, she could hold her liquor quite well. "Ulleeno was the prettiest dragonnn you could ever meeeet! I miss her so much... she was like a mother to me..." Even in the company of friends, enraptured with the warmth of tavern fire and ale, Yoraphi felt as though she would nearly tear up. At times, solace felt so fleeting when thinking of her family, of her past, and of Ulleeno.

"She's telling the truth," Seras interjected. "Makes me miss my mother just hearing that.." Looking down into his mug, almost as if he was trying to look for his reflection in the bubbles of his drink, Seras began reflecting somberly. 

Urie could tell by their sincere expressions that this was no lie. His jaw dropped, exposing the rest his long front teeth that stuck out from his bottom lip. He, along with the rest of the world, had only heard of dragons in folklore and tall tales before now. Not only was Yoraphi the only person aware of the existence of dragons, but possessed wild magic in her bloodline as well. Ulleeno, Yoraphi's "dragon mother", enlightened her of this fact at a young age and took her under her wing (in the figurative and, at times, literal sense) to unlock her magical potential. Hearing Yoraphi say she saw a dragon, and was its friend of all things, made Urie question everything he had ever heard about them. Still baffled by this revelation, Urie repeated himself.

"Yeahh! A dragon wwas my mooom... Or.. _like_ a mom..." Yoraphi began to trace the rim of her cup with her index finger. Wanting to just forget all of her problems, she turned to Seras, her eyes alight with devious, ale-fueled intentions. "I jusst want to forget about all this right nowww... Oh, Seeeraaas..."

Seras looked up from his glass upon hearing his name, snapping out of his near dreamlike state. He turned to Yoraphi to made eye contact, soon discovering it was hard not to with her face being mere inches from his.

"Why don't you help me forget~..," Yoraphi posed with an almost musical tone.

Seras's eyes widened quickly. He had feelings for Yoraphi, sure, but to get a request like that so suddenly shocked him. Thinking of what to say, Seras turned to Urie in an attempt to change the subject. "So, Urie, you mentioned something about your family earlier?" he asked with a false curiosity.

Without warning, Yoraphi rested her head in the nook of Seras's left shoulder, sending a foreign tingle all over his body. "Seraaas... don't ignore mee... I need you to help me forgeeet..," she insisted.

Urie, as if purely to fall into the old bardic stereotype, decided he would have a little fun at Seras's expense. "Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?" he said with a playful shrug of his shoulders.

Seras didn't know what to do. He was being attacked on two fronts. He thought he and Yoraphi had an understanding when they shared their feelings for each other several days prior. And Urie has been known for playing pranks on the party members, but to Seras, this was going to far. Seeing Seras's charcoal grey cheeks begin to tinge with red made Urie bellow out a hearty laugh. "Well, Seras? Don't leave the lady out to dry~," he said with a impish wink.

Seras tried everything he could to steer the subject away, mentioning other ways to pass the time; charades, cards, even a makeover for Yoraphi, even though knew nothing about feminine beauty techniques. He tried grasping at any straw he could, but his efforts were to no avail. For every "yes" that didn't escape his lips, Yoraphi tried harder and harder to make an advance and Urie continued to make things worse, commenting about joining their potential pastime and telling Yoraphi he would "make her forget her name". The combination of Yoraphi's sudden drunken invitation and the childlike pestering from the tiefling trickster across the table were beginning to frustrate him. The kind of blood-boiling frustration a man gets when his pride is in question.

"Urie, I will fight you," Seras challenged, with a seriousness in his tone as apparent as Yoraphi's inebriation. He delivered his threat with the drop of his elbow on the table and a point in the bard's direction.

"What? It was _just_ an offer," Urie teased with a snicker. "It would be fun~!"

"Urie, we talked about this at the ruined lookout," Seras explained quietly, trying to think of what to do with Yoraphi in her current state.

Several days prior, a large fight between the party and a necromancer and his undead minions broke out at an ancient, supposedly abandoned watchtower known as Old Owl Well. Yoraphi and Yennefer, the party's cleric, were badly injured in the scuffle, and if not for the quick thinking of the other party members, the battle could have been lost. Seras and Yoraphi met up after the fight and talked privately about their feelings for each other, as well as Yoraphi's knowledge of the existence of dragons. (Near death experiences are perfect times for these types of things, you see.) They realized then that their infatuations were mutual and agreed they would ease into their newfound feelings. A "slow burn", if you would. Urie found out about this after talking with Seras later that same day.

"You know how I feel about her..," Seras continued.

"Teiflings don't dooo it for me like youuu do, Seras~," Yoraphi said with a hiccup and a chortle. Feeling slightly insulted but mostly intrigued by her statement, Urie leaned onto the table, stretching out his mug with a smirk.

"I have nine reasons for you to change your mind, sweetheart~," Urie commented, chugging the remainder of his ale with an aura of boastful confidence. "In fact, why don't I give you a sneak peek, hmmm?" Urie pushed his chair back, seemingly ready to expose himself in front of everyone in the tavern.

Seras quickly reached up above his head and grabbed the string of his bow, sending Yoraphi slightly off balance from the shift in movement. "Do that, and it's coming off."

Seras locked eyes with Urie, a fire developing in his solid black eyes. Urie decided to slink back into his seat, bringing it forward to its original position. Recalling Seras's past statements about his kind, the Shadar-kai, Urie figured they aren't known for their sense of humor. Urie scoffed and leaned back in his chair, leaving his empty cup on the table. "Sounds like _s__omeone's_ jealous..," he stated firmly, taking a break from his vexation.

Seras released his grip from his bow string and turned to Yoraphi, trying to carefully remove her weight from him. He grasped her shoulders and positioned her upright in her chair. "Yoraphi, I like you," Seras began "Really I do, but I-"

Her eager green eyes met with his, her pupils dilated due to her rising blood-alcohol content. Even in his frustration, Seras felt he would lose himself if he continued to make eye contact with her, as if stranded on a black-sanded island amidst an emerald ocean. He hid his eyes from her with a sharp left turn of his head. "...This isn't the time. Look at you. You can barely speak properly, and I've... never done anything like that before. With anyone.." Seras began to sweat under his armor, the warmth of drinking and his resentment from this conversation slowly making it hard for him to think, to breathe even. He felt like every patron in the inn was standing over him, watching his every move, listening to every word.

Yoraphi gripped Seras's chin and turned his head back to face her, slowly running her thumb across his bottom lip. "I haaave...," she teased with a smile. "I can showww youuu... Trust meee!"

"No, Yoraphi," Seras said sternly, grasping her hand softly and slowly removing it from his face.

"Yes, Yoraphi!" she exclaimed. She nearly lunged out of her seat leaning in Seras's direction. The perky smile on her face quickly formed into puckered lips as she got closer. Seras swiftly backed up his chair and stood up, nearly falling backwards avoiding her advance. The table the three of them were sharing slid a few inches away from him due to his expeditious retreat, spilling some of Yoraphi's ale in the process.

"**I said no.**" Seras delivered his response assertively, nearly raising his voice to a yell.

Yoraphi gasped in surprise, expecting Seras to support her weight once more, and caught herself by grabbing onto his seat. Seras turned to look at Urie, who was silently observing, then looked around the tavern. A few of the inn's customers were looking in his direction in response to his instinctive movements, but it was far fewer than the amount he anticipated. He looked back down at Yoraphi and opened his lips prepared to speak, but upon seeing her expression, he couldn't say a word. She looked up at him as a single tear fell onto the center of his seat, with another running down her cheek. The smile he saw just before standing up had contorted into an anguished gloom. She, too, opened her mouth to speak, with no luck. She dizzily and dejectedly rose from her seat and turned to the stairs leading to the second floor of the tavern, and made haste to her room.

"Yoraphi, wait. I'm sorry! Don't leave..." Seras said. At least, that's what he _wanted_ to say.

The words would not manifest. All he could manage to do was stretch out his hand toward her, as if he wanted to prevent her from leaving. An aura of regret washed over him, the sensation feeling as though he had been thrown into near-boiling spring water. His palms had begun to sweat, quickly followed by a weakness in his knees and an unwelcome heaviness in his outstretched arm. Disappointing the object of his affection, coupled with the rapid stirring of ale in his stomach, began to make him nauseous. He turned to look at Urie, hoping he could say or do _something_ to alleviate his nervousness, but Urie reached for his empty mug and pressed the rim against his mouth to occupy his lips, pretending he didn't notice what just happened.

Seras went to follow Yoraphi, hoping he could resolve the trouble he just put her through, but stopped upon feeling a hand fall onto his left shoulder. It was Toblin Stonehill, the owner of the inn. He clamped down on Seras's shoulder and let out a stout laugh. "My, my," he said heartily. "It's usually not this rowdy unless you're giving us a show, Urie. What's gotten into you all tonight?"

Before Seras could respond, Urie stood up. "Nothing at all, my good man," he interjected. "Our traveling partner was just turning in for the night is all. The ale finally got to her, you see." Urie smiled at Toblin, who responded in kind with a chuckle. "By the way," he continued, "you think I could do another performance tonight? I'm all out of drink and I'm ready to put on a show." Urie was ready to get out of this atmosphere just as much as Seras was.

"Sure thing, Urie! I'll have the guys clear some room out for you." Toblin whistled loudly, attracting the attention of a few men at the bar, and pointed to Urie. "He's playing for us again tonight, boys. Give him a stage!"

The gentlemen rose happily from their stools and pushed some unoccupied tables and chairs out of the corner of the room to give Urie performing space. Urie saluted to Toblin, then approached the "stage", getting into position and plucking his lyre gently. As the gentle harmonies began to ring from his instrument, the other patrons flocked around him, excited to hear his music again. Toblin turned to look at Seras, observing his demeanor. "What happened just now?" he questioned. "That lass traveling with you stormed off to her room crying."

"I- I, uh... she just.. had too much to drink is all," Seras explained. He didn't want Toblin to know what was really going on with her; he didn't want to have her reputation soiled in his eyes.

"I see..," Toblin replied, smiling and nodding. He examined Seras's face, seeing the embarrassment from what happened moments earlier in his expression. "You know, Mr. Seras, you're a terrible liar." Toblin leaned in closer to Seras and lowered his volume to a near whisper. "If there are going to be any problems in _my_ bar, they're going to be solved outside. And before there _is_ any problem, I'll be cutting you off." Toblin released his grip from Seras's shoulder and patted him twice while taking his mug with his other hand. "If you turn in now, you can have your room on me tonight. Sound good?"

Although he felt like an idiot because of what happened, Seras wasn't stupid, and knew exactly what Toblin was trying to tell him. "Yeah, that.. sounds good. Thanks.." he said with a disappointed frown. Seras pushed his and Yoraphi's seat back under the table and turned back to the tavern keeper. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to cause a fuss."

"Eh," Toblin uttered. "I've seen worse. Just be glad it didn't get worse, or you'd have to find a bed outside, or worse, at the Sleeping Giant." Toblin turned away with a chuckle and gave Urie a cheer and a whistle for his performance. Seras looked up at Urie, watching him play for a few seconds before turning away. He decided he would take Mr. Stonehill up on his offer, and headed off to his room.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Seras sighed heavily, his arms falling to his sides. He stared at the old wooden ceiling of his room, imagining what he could have done differently. _It was Urie's fault_, he thought to himself._ Urie kept insulting Yoraphi; kept saying crude and improper things. __Then again... I could have just walked away. If I had, none of this would have happened..._ _Well, there's nothing I can do now...,_ he figured._ Yoraphi already went to her room to sleep off the ale, and after the things she had said to me... and what I said to her..._ The more and more he evaluated the argument in his mind, the more and more he began to feel he would never find the solution to his problem.

Seras began to feel very conflicted. He's had feelings for Yoraphi ever since the party cleared out Cragmaw Cave together three weeks prior. The jade statuette of a frog Yoraphi likes to keep around her neck was originally part of the previous cave occupants' treasure hoard (Goblins like shiny things, but also like the dark. Curious creatures.). Seras had initially spotted the frog after the final battle with the leader of the goblins and intended to keep it; perhaps trading it in for some quick gold or to replace the arrows in his quiver would make good use of the statuette's worth.

But Yoraphi was the one to change his mind. Seras saw how she admired the artwork; its simplistic design, the way the torchlight gleamed off of its golden eyes, its compact construction. He still remembered the disbelief in her eyes when he handed it to her. She was so expressive, so charming, so.. full of life. As someone who not only spent alot of his early life away from society, but also as someone who made a living hunting undead, it was a releif seeing someone so carefree and happy.

After Seras gave her the statuette, Yoraphi attached it to her necklace alongside the shiny elytra of a beetle she had found the day prior and the gift left behind by her mentor (a dragon's tooth). She wore the necklace anywhere and everywhere, and wouldn't remove it until she turned in for sleep every night. Even when keeping watch at nights, the souvenirs would stay on her at all times.

A long, exasperated sigh left Seras's mouth as he sat up from the bed. He looked around the room at what he had done, deciding he would clean up the mess he had made. He began to tidy up his living space, and after collecting his armor and returning the strewn out arrows to his quiver, he placed his gear neatly in the corner of the room. He sat back down on his bed and contemplated his next steps; he wasn't sleepy after what happened, even though he had drank, and he didn't feel particularly active either. _I could go for another midnight stroll.._ he thought, but remembering his party members had nearly destroyed the door to his room last time he had went for a walk late at night, he decided against it. _I think I should go apologize to_ _Yoraphi,_ he posed to himself shortly afterwards._ I don't want her to go to sleep upset with me, and I owe her a huge apology after what happened._

Seras got up from his bed one final time and approached the room's entrance, gently opening the door. He looked left and right across the hallway to ensure none of his party members, or worse, Toblin, was around before approaching Yoraphi's chambers. He raised his hand to her room to gently knock, but was met with yet another unwelcome impression. He heard noises on the other side of the door: heavy, somewhat coarse breathing, followed by his name, and a soft moan just after that. _Was Yoraphi still crying?, _he posed to himself._ No, that... doesn't _sound_ like crying... but what else could it be?_ He listened for a few more seconds, trying to decipher what the mysterious sounds emanating from the cracks of her room's closed entryway could mean, but before he could find his answer, curiosity finally got the best of him.

*knock knock* "Yoraphi?" he urged, hoping his tone was only loud enough for her to hear. From the other side of the door, he heard a sharp gasp and shuffled movement, followed by a quick response from Yoraphi.

"Y-yes?" she asked exasperatedly. The strange noises Seras had heard coming from her had stopped.

"It's Seras. Can I come in? I.. wanted to apologize for earlier," he stated sincerely. A few more seconds of shifting noises could be heard before Yoraphi responded. "Come in.." she invited softly.

Seras pushed the door to her quarters open, stepping inside and positioning himself in front of the entrance. Yoraphi was lying in her bed under the covers, with only her head and her fingertips that gripped the blanket exposed. Although their rooms were exactly the same, besides the possessions they stored, a strange heat enveloped Seras as he entered the room; a sense of humidity different to the kind given off by the tavern's fire. His eyes met hers, her cheeks just as rosy as when he had seen her moments earlier. Or perhaps even more rosy. He could tell she was still breathing heavily, but only slightly less so than he had heard before entering, and the expression on her face was one of intemperance. But again, something about her expression felt off to him.

"Yoraphi.. about earlier..-" he began.

"Seras, wait," she intergected, "come and sit down." She shook her feet under the bed to show Seras where to sit. "You don't have to stay standing up, and.. I want you closer to me."

He almost refused, but not wanting to argue with her any further, Seras found a place at the foot of the bed and perched himself there. He rested with his elbows on his knees, staring at the floor. "Yoraphi, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry, it's just.. you- no.. I.." Seras was finding it hard to arrange his words properly, and sitting on her bed mere inches away from her wasn't helping his thinking process. "Urie was angering me, and I was drinking too much, and I just..." Seras let out a sigh and lowered his head.

"No, I'm sorry..," Yoraphi said as she sat up, keeping her body covered with her blanket. "I let the ale get to me and I was acting a little.. wild."

The two of them sat in silence for a few seconds, trying to find the next thing they could say. "Seras," she said, breaking the scilence. "Look at me.. I want to see your face.. Please..?" Although he was still stricken with overwhelming shame, he obliged her request, turning to face her. She lifted her hands up from under her blanket and placed her hands on his cheeks, locking eyes with him.

"Seras," she said with a slight pause, "before you came in here, I.. I was.. I wanted to be close to you." Yoraphi paused again and looked down at Seras's lips, then back up to his eyes. "Please kiss me, Seras," she beckoned, "I want to feel your lips on mine.."

"I want to feel yours, too.." Seras replied, surprising himself. _Wait, what am I saying!? I can't do this. I... _What he was afraid of earlier had finally come over him. Her eyes met with his, bringing with them a foreign instinct; a primal, intoxicating feeling. He mirrored her by placing his hands on her cheeks, and they each closed their eyes while pulling the other closer.

An increasing rush came other them as their lips connected; a growing sense of relief and euphoria. All of their fears, their sorrows, their doubts, instantly vanishing like a single autumn leaf thrown into a raging kiln. Seras's hands, as if all on their own, moved from her cheeks down to her neck, then to her shoulders, causing Yoraphi's blanket to fall into a heap in her lap. She gently pulled Seras on top of her, prompting him to reposition himself on his hands and knees above her.

"Seras..," Yoraphi said, breaking their kiss. "Open your eyes.." Seras did as he was told, and upon open his eyes, he was shocked to see Yoraphi's bare chest. As much as he wanted to pull away due to this discovery, all he could do was stare at her exposed torso, examining every inch. Seeing her pale belly, curvy waist, and full breasts sent all the blood from his brain directly to his nether-region.

"Before you came in here..," Yoraphi began, attempting to catch her breath. "I was.. touching myself thinking of you, Seras.. and you interrupted me.." She reached for his face yet again, bringing his attention back to her eyes. "Please touch me, Seras.. I want you to feel every inch of me.. Please help me finish what I started.."

"Yoraphi," Seras whispered, struggling to process every emotion that was coming over him. "Are you sure..? If you ask me to do that, I.. I don't think I could hold myself back.."

Yoraphi smiled and pulled his head back down to met hers. She kissed his lips again, then moved her head to the right, bringing her mouth right next to his ear.

"**Then don't.**"

Yoraphi's words nearly paralyzed Seras as his breathing began to shift. He swallowed nervously, finding that even doing so had become more difficult due to his current circumstance. So many thoughts began to run through his mind.

_ Of course I would love to do this with Yoraphi,_ he thought. If_ I were doing this anyone, I want it to be with her. But what about the other party members? What would they think? How would they react? Would they be dissatisfied or ecstatic with our behavior, or would they even care at all? More importantly, what about Yoraphi? She seems to be in control of herself, but what if she wakes up tomorrow feeling that I had taken advantage of her? What if... she's taking advantage of me? Seeing her in this state of longing and deep admiration is... amazing. I've only ever dreamed of being this close with someone else, and here it is happening now. What if I never get this opportunity again? If I let this moment pass now, there is a chance she could grow disinterested. I refused her earlier and it brought her to tears. I don't want to disappoint her again.. but.._

"Seras," Yoraphi asked, "are you alright? What's wrong?" Seras snapped out of his trance and looked into her eyes again. She had moved her arms above her head, eagerly waiting to continue, but a concerned look had befallen her due to his idleness and his blank expression. Seras turned his head away yet again, afraid of falling for her charm a second time.

"Yoraphi, I-"

*knock knock knock* "Yoraphi, it's Yennefer. Are you still up?" Seras froze in place, his eyes wide and breath bated. _Yennefer?! What is _she_ doing here?_ Yoraphi quickly put her finger up to Seras's mouth, trying to make sure he wouldn't make a sound.

"Yes, I'm awake," Yoraphi assured. "Did you need something?"

"Well, it's going to sound childish, but Eris and I were messing around with the idea of a pillow fort, and we were wondering if we could use one of your pillows," Yennefer explained. "Would that be ok with you? Seras went out for another walk without telling us _again_, so we took one of his already. We just need one more."

While she was speaking, unaware of what was going on just past the doorway, Yoraphi had signaled for Seras to crawl under the bed and hide. Seras began slowly lifting himself off of her, preparing to lie prone under the bed. Yoraphi stood up and covered herself with her blanket, supporting it with one hand and gripping her unused pillow in the other.

"Sure thing, Yennefer! Give me one second and I'll bring it to you." Yoraphi stood up and approached the doorway while Seras watched her approach the room's door from underneath the bed, only being able to see her feet and the light from the crease below the door. Yoraphi opened the entrance to her room just enough to pass off the pillow and met Yennefer with a smile.

"Yoraphi, are you ok?" Yennefer posed. "Your face is really red."

"Oh, I'm fine..," Yoraphi guaranteed with a chuckle. "Just trying to rest off this ale. It's been a while since I drank this much, and I may have went overboard."

"Oh.. Well, thank you for the pillow. Just let me know if you want it back before you turn in, yeah?"

"No, you can keep it! I hadn't planned on using it tonight, anyways. You and Eris have fun!"

"We'll try," Yennefer laughed. "Have a good night and sleep well."

"You too!"

As Yennefer went back to her's and Eris's meeting place, Yoraphi gently closed the door and turned back to face the bed, relieved one of the party members didn't notice what she and Seras were up to. "The coast is clear, Seras," she whispered, "you can come out now." Seras steered himself out from underneath the bed and stood up, wiping dust off of his traveler's clothes. "Sorry about that," she sighed, "I was hoping you wouldn't have had to do that..." Seras breathed in and out deeply, attempting to calm himself (in more ways than one), then turned to face her, placing his hands on her forearms just below her shoulders.

"I'm... sorry, Yoraphi.. I can't do this..," he began dejectedly. "Believe me, I really want to; you're so beautiful and I'm excited to do these things with you. I'm just very afraid.. I have all these thoughts going through my head at once, and being with you like this is making it harder and harder for me to control my emotions. I don't want to disappoint you again, but I'm... very conflicted..." Yoraphi smiled and leaned in close to Seras, resting her head on his chest and keeping her blanket held up with both hands near her neck. Surprised but pleased with her promising response, Seras wrapped his arms around her, trying to be as comfortable for her as she was for him.

"It's ok, Seras.. I understand," Yoraphi began, "and I'm not disappointed. I think about us a lot, too; bad things arise in my mind just as good things do. I know how you feel, and it's ok. I'm just glad I got to be vulnerable with you. You're the only person I have in my life I can be this close to right now, and I just wanted to show you how much I appreciated the kindness you've showed towards me. I didn't mean to put so much pressure on you."

"I'm glad I got to spend this time with you, too, Yoraphi." Seras tightened his hold on Yoraphi and rested his cheek on the top of her head, further investing in their embrace. They stood in the center of the room, holding each other in blissful entanglement for what seemed an hour.

Seras slowly pulled away from her. "How about we just turn in for the night?" he asked. "After everything that just happened, I'll need some time to calm down." Seras said, hoping Yoraphi wouldn't take his request negatively.

"Yeah, me too," she concurred. "I'm starting to get sleepy anyway.." Yoraphi walked over to the bed rubbing the tiredness from her eyes, and sat down. She looked back up at him with a sincere smile and a wink. "Good night, Seras. This was nice." Yoraphi draped the blanket back over her and rested her head on her one remaining pillow.

"Good night to you as well, Yoraphi," he replied. "Sleep well, and I'll see you in the morning." Seras straightened out the wrinkles in his clothes and approached the door, carefully opening it like he had done earlier before entering her room. He snuck through the crack he had made in the doorway and made his way back into his room, careful not to alert anyone of where he was coming from. As he grasped for the doorknob, he heard a shifting noise coming from down the hall, startling him. He quickly turned his gaze, only to find the hall was empty and all the doors were secured. Seras opened the door to his room and entered hastily, and pushed his entire weight on the door after closing it behind him.

Seras exaled deeply and put his hands over his face, massaging it and attempting to calm his nerves. Although he was disappointed in himself for being reckless and giving into his emotions, he did not regret the exchange he and Yoraphi shared. And although he didn't want to admit it, being intimate with her was one of the best things he'd had happen to him in quite a while. Feeling an ever so slight sense of releif, Seras shuffled over to his bed and set himself in. He figured he would sleep tonight, rather than meditate like he usually does. As he draped the covers over himself, he took his one remaining pillow and placed it under his head. He lied there, thinking of Yoraphi; thinking about the warmth of her skin, the softness of her voice, her inviting, charming embrace. A sense of happiness came over Seras as the thoughts lulled him to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Seras's eyes shot open, waking up to the sight of Yoraphi on top of him. She was on her hands and knees above him, completely nude with her breasts draping down only centimeters away from touching his chest. She looked into his eyes and smiled. Although he was surprised, he didn't have a sensation of fear like he did previously. In fact, a sensation of arousal decided to substitute the shock.

"Glad to see you awake, handsome," she greeted before leaning down to have their lips meet. Seras was overcome with instant pleasure, savoring ever second their lips touched. There were no doubtful thoughts for Seras like before; in this moment, only thoughts of doing whatever he could to please Yoraphi occupied his mind. Seras put his hands up in front of him to softly grasp her breasts, prompting her to moan softly into his mouth. He guided his hands around them until he found her nipples, and began to trace over them with his thumbs. He used circular motions to tease them, as if slowly and carefully grinding ingredients with a mortar and pestle. Yoraphi squeaked into his mouth again, shaking with pleasure. As Seras continued to tease, their bodies grew warmer and warmer.

Yoraphi freed her lips from Seras's and locked eyes with him, both of them breathing heavily from the intensity of their actions. "Seras, I want you," she pleaded. "I want you so badly right now that I can't stand it. Please take me, I'm begging you.."

Seras shifted on top of her and buried his face into her neck, kissing it and teasing her breasts even more. A loud sigh came from her as she writhed in pleasure, squeezing the blanket between her fingers. After several seconds, she grasped Seras's wrist and guided his hands down her body, resting his hand between her legs. Seras began massaging her labia, running his middle and ring fingers over her opening. Nearly overstimulated by his caressing, Yoraphi grasped his back, digging her fingernails into his clothing and whining pleasurably into his ear.

"Seras.. your hands feel so good," she affirmed. She opening her legs wider and moved her hands up to hold onto his shoulders. Seras guided his lips back to hers to continue kissing her, only for her to quickly turn her head away, surprising him.

"Yoraphi, are you ok," Seras posed. "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"No! No, it's just that.." she assured him. "I want you to do something for me before we continue."

"What is it?"

"Wake up, Seras."

"Wait," he said, puzzled. "What?"

"Seras, wake up," she repeated.

Seras's eyes shut as a knock came from his bedroom door. When he reopened his eyes, he was lying in his bed, with Yoraphi nowhere in sight. _Oh, I.. was just dreaming,_ he realized, partly disappointed and partly relieved that he was, in fact, dreaming. Seras sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Yes?" he announced to the other side of the door.

It was Urie. "Seras, wake up. Yennefer made tea for everyone downstairs. Come get some, lazy-bones." Seras could hear Urie walk back down the stairs as he sat up to evaluate the morning. He felt like he slept well; no drowsiness, no headache. The only unwelcome feeling he had was a tightening in his pants. As he waited for it to wear off, he gathered the rest of his clothing and got fully dressed. He headed downstairs, stopping briefly in front on Yoraphi's room before continuing on.

The inn wasn't open to outside customers yet, but anyone staying in rooms was welcome to come to the main area and relax before business hours. As Seras made it to the bottom of the steps, he noticed the party sitting together. Yennefer and Eris had their own table, while Yoraphi and Sorcha, the party's rogue, were sitting at the table next to them. Urie was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs.

"Finally! I was wondering if you were ever going to leave your room," Urie teased. "You're usually one of the first ones up."

"Yeah, I.. guess I am," Seras agreed.

"Didn't sleep well?"

"I slept fine."

"Ah. Then you must not have went right to sleep last night then, am I right?"

"Well, no, I didn't. I couldn't sleep. In case you forgot, _someone_ upset me last night, and I have trouble sleeping when I'm angry." Although that was partly true, he wasn't going to tell Urie the real reason he stayed up later than usual.

"Oh, about that. Sorry for ruffling your feathers last night. The ale overcame me and you're an easy person to poke fun at." Urie chuckled and softly punched Seras in the chest.

Assuming that was the best apology he was going to get out of Urie, Seras began walking to the rest of the party. Urie placed his hand on his shoulder, trying to stop him. "Hey, wait," Urie intergected.

"What?" Seras asked, still slightly annoyed with the teiflings actions from the night before.

"Really, Seras. I'm sorry, my man. I was trying to help you out with Yoraphi, and I guess I went a bit overboard, you know? I just assumed you would've wanted to get closer to her last night. I know I would've." Seras thought about what Urie meant by what he was saying, and came to the conclusion that his was just a conflict of opinions. Urie has had far more experience with people than Seras has, even with the vast gap in their ages, and he could see how Urie would take an entirely different approach to the situation than he did.

"Well, I'm sorry for threatening to shoot you last night," Seras replied. "I guess we both have problems with controlling our emotions at times."

"I'll say," Urie agreed. "I mean, look at your clothes. They're all wrinkled up. And that's not your sleeping clothes."

Seras looked down at his closed and noticed what Urie was talking about. The wrinkles he got from "hanging out with" Yoraphi last night didn't come out like he thought they did. Urie chuckled and winked at Seras. "Don't worry, pal, your secret's safe with me," he assured with a chuckle. "Nice work." Urie turned to Yennefer and walked over, looking to get a cup of tea. Seras stood there for a moment, befuddled with himself. He straightened his shirt out a bit more, removing the more noticable creases, then sighed exasperatedly.

_Well, that cat is out of the bag,_ he figured. _But Urie seems trustworthy with this at least._ Seras turned to look at Yoraphi, who looked at him at the same time. She smiled at him and waved sheepishly, then took a sip of her tea. He waved back, then was beckoned by Yennefer to get a cup of tea with the rest of them. Seras looked over the party once more, grinned, and regrouped with them to say good morning and enjoy his drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are seeing this, thanks for reading; the time you took out of your day to read this is very appreciated. 
> 
> \- Lucas


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